Is It Necessary to Send Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ Whenever His Name Is Mentioned or Thought Of?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
Is it mandatory to give blessings upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) whenever I get any thought or any mention of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in my head? Sometimes, I get his name in my head throughout the day and send blessings. But sometimes, even when I go to sleep, I get the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) name mentioned after closing my eyes and wanting to sleep. Then I open my eyes and send blessings.
A few moments ago, I took a nap, but I barely could; I kept mentioning his name in my head. What should I do about this? And also, what should be done in general whenever we think of our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) or get his name mentioned in our head?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
ّSending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) takes on various rulings in the Hanafi school – obligatory, necessary, and recommended – based on the circumstance. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Obligation (Fard) of Sending Blessings
Every Muslim must send blessings on the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) once in their lifetime. This is out of obedience to Allah’s command in the Quran: [Ibid.]
“Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O, believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.” [Quran, 33:56]
Necessity (Wajib) of Sending Blessings
It is necessary to send blessings on the Prophet once in each gathering that his blessed name is audibly mentioned. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
The exception to this ruling is if there is an Islamically recognized excuse preventing one from sending blessings on the Prophet, such as if one is in prayer or using the restroom. [Ibid.]
Repeating Mention of His Blessed Name
It is not obligatory to repeat the sending of blessings if the blessed name of the Prophet is repeated, although it is recommended. [Ibid.]
It is not necessary to send blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) just by merely thinking of his blessed name. [Ibid.]
Recommended: Sending Abundant Blessings
It is recommended to send blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) abundantly, especially if his blessed name is mentioned by one or in one’s presence. [Ibid.]
The exception to this will be if one is legally unable to send blessings for Islamically recognized reasons, such as being in prayer, reciting the Qur’an, calling the call to prayer, etc… [Ibid.]
The Virtues of Sending Blessings on the Prophet
Despite the obligation of sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) being limited to once per gathering, one is still encouraged to send abundant blessings on the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace). [Ibid.]
Many narrations indicate immense blessings for the one who sends blessings on the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) even once, let alone abundantly. We will suffice with one narration. [Ibid.]
Ubay bin K’ab (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man said, “O Messenger of Allah! I have a lot of time to send blessings upon you. How much should I do?” He replied, “As much as you wish.” The man replied, “I will do 1/4th.” The Prophet said, “As you wish, but if you were to increase, it would be better for you.” The man said, “I will do 1/2.” The Prophet said, “As you wish, but if you were to increase, it would be better for you.” The man said, “I will do 2/3rds.” The Prophet said, “As you wish, but if you were to increase, it would be better for you.” The man said, “I will take all my time to send blessings upon you.” The Prophet said, “In that case, you will be sufficed of all your worries and all your sins will be expiated for.” [Tirmidhi]
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
